This All-Electric Hybrid Car-Motorcycle Could Change Transportation

Danny Kim, a transportation researcher and project manager, just unveiled a prototype of its C1, a fully electric cross between a car and a motorcycle made by his startup, Lit Motors.

Lit Motors is one of dozens of startups vying for a prize at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference in San Francisco.

Unlike a motorcycle, the C1 is completely enclosed, and you don't need a helmet to ride it—though you will need a motorcycle license, Kim said.

The C1 goes for 200 miles on a single charge.

He plans to start making it next year for $19,000 and reduce the price to $12,000 by 2014. Lit Motors has raised $780,000 so far. Kim said he hopes to raise another $20 million to build a beta prototype.

The most interesting thing the C1 does, technically speaking, is how it stabilizes itself. In a collision, it should spin and stay upright rather than fall over. When it parks, it extends "landing gear."